ST. LOUIS (USBWA) – The U.S. Basketball Writers Association
has chosen the recipients of its 2010-11 women's postseason honors.
Connecticut's Maya Moore is the National Player of the Year,
while Baylor's Kim Mulkey is the National Coach of the Year
and Baylor's Odyssey Sims is the National Freshman of the
Year. All three selections will be honored at the USBWA Women's Awards
Breakfast on Tues., April 5 in Indianapolis.

Moore has led the Huskies to a fourth straight Big East title
and a trip to the Final Four, averaging 22.5 points, 8.2 rebounds
and 4.0 assists per game. She becomes just the third two-time USBWA
National Player of the Year (Tennessee's Candace Parker and Chamique
Holdsclaw) and only the second player to earn USBWA All-America
honors four times (Oklahoma's Courtney Paris). Like Paris, she was
also the USBWA National Freshman of the Year (2008) in addition
to being the National Player of the Year two seasons ago. Moore's
selection as the player of the year marks the sixth time and the
third straight season a Connecticut player has earned the honor.

Sims, who led the Big 12 in 3-point field goal percentage to
go with 13.1 points per game, is the second straight Baylor player
to earn national freshman of the year honors after Brittney Griner earned
that distinction a season ago. Mulkey, who led the Lady Bears to a 34-3
record, the Big 12 championship and the Elite 8, is the second straight
national coach of the year from the Big 12, following Nebraska's
Connie Yori last season.

Joining Moore on the USBWA All-America Team is Ohio State's
Jantel Lavender, the 13th three-time All-American
and the second from Ohio State (Jessica Davenport). Lavender,
a four-time Big Ten Player of the Year, averaged 22.8 points and
10.9 rebounds per game in leading the Buckeyes to the Sweet 16.
The other repeat All-America honoree is Stanford's Nnemkadi Ogwumike.
Pac-10 Player of the Year Jeannette Pohlen joins her Stanford
teammate and on the squad as they ready for the Final Four.

Shekinna Stricklen, the SEC Player of the Year and 2009
USBWA National Freshman of the Year represents Tennessee. While
Stanford has a pair of All-America selections, joining traditional
powers Connecticut and Tennessee with representation on the team,
four schools – Gonzaga, Miami, Texas A&M and Xavier – placed players
on the team for the first time.

Gonzaga's Courtney Vandersloot was the West Coast
Conference Player of the Year and became the first Division I
player with 2,000
career points and 1,000 career assists; Miami's Shenise
Johnson was the ACC Player of the Year; Texas A&M's Danielle
Adams led the Aggies to their first 30-win season and first
Final Four; and Atlantic 10 Player of the Year Amber Harris
of Xavier are first-time selections. Last season's National Freshman
of the Year, Brittney Griner of Baylor, the Big 12 Player
of the Year, rounds out the team as a first-time selection.

Following is the complete list of 2010-11 USBWA women's honors:

2010-11 USBWA WOMEN'S ALL-AMERICA TEAM

Player, School

Pos.

Ht.

Cl.

Hometown

Danielle Adams,
Texas A&M

F/C

6-1

Sr.

Kansas City,
Mo.

Brittney Griner,
Baylor

C

6-8

So.

Houston, Texas

Amber Harris,
Xavier

F

6-5

Sr.

Indianapolis,
Ind.

Shenise Johnson,
Miami

G

5-11

Jr.

Henrietta, N.Y.

Jantel Lavender,
Ohio State

C

6-4

Sr.

Cleveland, Ohio

Maya Moore,
Connecticut

F

6-0

Sr.

Lawrenceville,
Ga.

Nnemkadi Ogwumike,
Stanford

F

6-2

Jr.

Cypress, Texas

Jeanette Pohlen,
Stanford

G

6-0

Sr.

Brea, Calif.

Shekinna Stricklen,
Tennessee

G/F

6-2

Jr.

Morrilton, Ark.

Courtney Vandersloot,
Gonzaga

G

5-8

Sr.

Kent, Wash.

Player of the Year: Maya Moore, Connecticut

Coach of the Year: Kim Mulkey, Baylor

Freshman of the Year: Odyssey Sims, Baylor

The U.S. Basketball Writers Association, formed in 1956,
has named a women's All-America team since the 1996-97 season. The
association has also named a national player of the year since 1987-88
and a national coach of the year since 1989-90. In 2002-03, the
USBWA initiated an award for the nation's top freshman. For more
information about the USBWA and its award programs, contact Executive
Director Joe Mitch in the Missouri Valley Conference office at 314-444-4325.